Peters held CV Little League high

Longtime youth baseball volunteer dedicated much of his life to serving kids and improving the league.

June 24, 2010|By Charles Rich, charles.rich@latimes.com

GLENDALE—In nearly 40 years of overseeing the state of the Crescenta Valley Little League evolve, Bill Peters did things strictly by the book.

Peters kept score of more than 5,000 baseball games throughout the summers and helped implement rules that the coaches and players adhered to so that other leagues might pick up and follow.

Peters, who held volunteering to a high standard, died April 9 from complications resulting in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes. He was 72.

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Peters served in various capacities in the league, including being a board member for many years.

"He was somebody who held volunteerism in a very high place," said Dave Ritchie, the Little League District 16 volunteer administrator. "He absolutely loved the CV Little League and he had a lot of passion for it without a doubt.

"He put in a lot of hours and that was his best interest at heart. He expected things to be done by the book. He was a stickler with all of the rules."

Born Jan. 3, 1938, in National City, Peters moved to Ocean Beach before graduating from San Diego State in 1961. He and his wife of 49 years, Collette, moved to Pasadena in 1963 before residing in La Crescenta in 1969.

He began work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1964 as an engineer/programmer before retiring in 1999. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Glendale Council 120, and served as a past Grand Knight.

Paul Roberts, a former Crescenta Valley Little League coach, said Peters continued to search for ways to improve the program.

"He had 40-plus years of devotion to the kids in the Little League program," Roberts said. "He gave back to the community.

"We went and visited him in the hospital. All he wanted to do was talk about Little League."

When Peters wasn't involved with the Crescenta Valley Little League, he often assembled statistics pertaining to the Crescenta Valley High football program. Additionally, Peters organized the Rally Tally Week, which focused on how the teams in the Crescenta Valley Little League and its respective players fared.

Collette Peters said her husband was instrumental in shaping the Crescenta Valley Little League.

"He's had quite a history here with CV Little League," Collette Peters said. "He was always active every single year.

"I underestimated the effect he had on other people. I didn't know how others reacted."

Peters is also survived by three children, Matthew, Gregory and AnneMarie, and two grandchildren.

A memorial service was held June 5 at Holy Redeemer Church in Montrose.